Pokeroot

Uses

Principal Proposed Uses

The herb pokeroot grows wild in many parts of North America. The name comes from a Native American word, "pocan," a term that indicates any plant used to provide a red-colored dye. Pokeroot is a source of a blood-red pigment. Medicinally, it was used as an “alterative,” a substance that supposedly removes toxins from the body and restores overall health. Like other alteratives, pokeroot was used for the treatment of cancer, skin conditions, and many other diseases attributed to toxins. Pokeroot causes vomiting and diarrhea, and these effects were also traditionally considered salutary.
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However, in modern times, it has become clear that pokeroot causes vomiting and diarrhea because it is toxic; it should not be used at all.

What Is Pokeroot Used for Today?

Pokeroot itself is not sold in the United States. However, substances found in pokeroot have shown promise for drug development. One of these, “pokeroot antiviral protein,” has shown potential as a treatment for
HIV
and other viral infections.
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Note, however, that these findings on one ingredient of pokeroot do not indicate that the whole herb is useful for HIV infection.

Another substance in pokeroot, “pokeweed mitogen,” forces cells to divide, a property that has led to a great deal of scientific investigation.
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These mitogenic effects are potentially quite dangerous, and are more an argument against the use of pokeroot than for it.

Dosage

We recommend against using pokeroot in any dosage.

Safety Issues

Pokeroot is a toxic herb. Ingestion can lead to symptoms such as nausea, vomiting (sometimes with blood), diarrhea, rapid heart rate, a dangerous fall in blood pressure, difficult breathing, confusion, and death.
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Symptoms may develop with one-time use or insidiously over time. Fresh root is more toxic than dried root. The juice of pokeweed berries is more toxic still, and can cause severe damage to blood cells even when it is only applied to the skin.
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Pokeroot should definitely not be used by pregnant or nursing women or young children.

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Parikh BA, Coetzer C, Tumer NE, et al. Pokeweed antiviral protein regulates the stability of its own mRNA by a mechanism that requires depurination but can be separated from depurination of the alpha-sarcin/ricin loop of rRNA.
J Biol Chem
. 2002;277:41428–37.

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.